Daylight Doozy
by Wordgawk
Summary: One request fulfillment from Kaname, coming right up. Ichijou flirts with danger.


**Author's note: Chipper vampires. Now that's a story waiting to be written. This one takes place at the start of the series.**

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Daylight Doozy

"Ichijou, please."

"But, Kaname, I'm unsure-"

"There's no one except you."

This heated debate resembled a tryst, lovers hiding themselves from their respective partners to meet up with forbidden fruit. One person insistent, the other drawing away.

In less exciting truth, this conversation was really about the virtuous President Kaname requesting an urgent delivery. From his right-hand man, Ichijou Takuma. Who was a vampire. In daytime.

Blue skies and shining sun being the prime time to snooze for the nocturnal creatures such as themselves. Today, Ichijou was feeling sleepy having stayed up too late yesterday morning reading the latest issue of his shoujo manga. He felt the need for some magical girl flavors in his literary delving this week. The sparkles and dazzling displays of emotion moved him. His latest volume was an intense hand-gripper.

Ichijou and Kaname were in the president's office. Kaname was perusing a heavy document --very lengthy and boring to Ichijou in these forsaken hours-- with a disdain he rarely showed to anyone else other than his trusted vice-president behind closed doors. Tossing out a request to Ichijou was nothing out of the ordinary. He took requests all the time. Ordering Ichijou to deliver things was Kaname's way of relieving stress. Ichijou just wished his stress-reduction methods quit involving him so early in the day. The blond was dying to dive back to his comfy bed to drop himself back to his fantasy world of manga.

Business came first, of course. Kaname handed a package to Ichijou, requesting a delivery to the Chairman. A small box that fit nicely in Ichijou's hand, it resembled more like a gift than a discreet parcel with its plain wrapping and a meticulously tied silk ribbon around the box. The package was shaped like a brick but its weightlessness seemed like feathers.

Ichijou felt fatigued and Kaname well knew it by the playful gleam in his maroon eye when the vice-president made his request. The young vampire understood that obeying the president held priority over coaxing his unfinished volume, but he still felt the need to protest if not to be heard. "Could the package wait until evening to be sent?" he asked in his most polite voice. Politeness went a long way, he discovered, especially with those wonderful Day Class ladies.

Unfortunately, Ichijou's boyish charms nor his calming voice had any hypnotic effects on Kaname. The chestnut-haired pureblood vampire simply sat back in his cushioned chair with a rueful smile playing across his mouth. "It could be delayed, but then I'd be sending out a poor image of myself. I'm afraid even sending this parcel now is sloppy on my part. It had slipped my mind yesterday."

Kaname ceased speaking. His lips drew into a stern line and he closed his eyes as if to silently chide himself at his lapse in memory. When his burgundy irises slipped open, an unreadable gaze was apparent even beneath his heavy lashes. "You wouldn't want to be the one to mar my good reputation, would you?"

That definitely wouldn't look responsible from a vice-president. Ichijou apologetically shook his head. At so early in the morning, he had a difficult time differentiating between Kaname's joking and a real request. "Of course not. B-but the rule about Night Class members in the Day Class section... surely you don't want me to be breaking this?"

"If you are caught, then yes, you would be breaking the rule." Passing deviousness ghosted on Kaname's lips for a mere moment.

Oh, that was Kaname for you, tricky even in his requests. "I'll deliver it now." Ichijou outwardly grinned, though he felt his insides sink. He wasn't getting out of this request.

"Thank you. I do appreciate your hard effort." Kaname's mouth curved upwards before Ichijou left, this time without immoral intent. Ah, Ichijou remembered why the girls fawned over him when he showed happiness. Kaname's teeth were dazzling in the light, all right.

Closing the heavy oak door behind him, Ichijou wound his way through hallways and down the grand marble staircase that led to the front entrance of the Moon dorm. The doors always appeared more towering whenever Kaname sent him on one of these suicide missions. Maybe it was some fancy optical illusion that kept changing. It could explain why he felt a tad light-headed. Ichijou always had to wonder if he'd make the trip back alive. He stood at the entrance, taking in a couple slow breaths to work up nerve to enter brilliant sunlight. He stared at the stained wood, the glint of the round brass handles. His eyelids drooped once quickly. Dear, he desperately wanted to jump into bed!

"Another errand for Kaname-sama?"

His courage was worked up enough for his slim hand to touch the knob when he heard the sleepy voice behind him. It was lovely Ruka, who appeared beautiful when her long hair was disheveled. Or perhaps that was entertaining; her coiffure remained less than meticulous when she roamed around.

Ichijou explained his mission. He then leaned close to whisper in case Kaname overheard from upstairs. The President was a sneaky one, popping up behind people silently. "You're lucky. I was in the middle of an amazing fight in my manga when Kaname summoned me. I can't find out what happens next until I get back!" Ichijou tried not to lose his composure by giving in to his excitement.

The goddess Ruka sighed. "You're the one who's lucky to do Kaname-sama's bidding."

Ichijou turned around to face the heavyset double doors. Those doorknobs sure looked imposing. He gulped. "It's not always as fun as you make it out to be. So long."

When he managed to shut the door behind him and he was facing the outside world, Ichijou had to lean against the hard wood for a minute to get his bearings. Too much bright sun too early in the day. Wooziness still had a hold on his body. Eventually, he got his feet moving. The sooner he delivered this package, the faster he could trip into his welcome bed.

Let's see, the Chairman's office was about fifteen minutes away. All right, technically around five, but Ichijou included his soliciting around the grounds. The vampires from Night Class almost never crossed campus this early in the morning. He was going to milk his rare chance for all it was worth.

Ichijou began quietly humming. Crossing the fountain along the way was a nice scenic shortcut.

Though morning was too shiny and colorful, Ichijou didn't discard the splendor of gleaming sun in the fountain spring. Without anybody around, he enjoyed himself by pausing at the carved marvel and stared down. His green eyes and light blond hair mirrored happily back at him in the shimmering flow of liquid. A peek of the blue sky was visible above his head, too. Staring into the waters in daylight was fascinating since he only did so during the night when the waters were darkened by night.

"Oh, it's him!"

Startled, Ichijou's humming ceased and his head shot up from his idle viewing. The largest group of Day Class girls he cared to run into so early in the morning had spotted him. Ok, so there were only three girls, but he knew those three could easily transform into eight or nine at an excitement's notice. His manga informed him of that very real possibility.

Manga, and insidiously, first hand experience.

He cleared his throat politely. Politeness had also dug him out of sticky situations before, too. Manners did work wonders! "Uh, hello girls. What a nice day it is." Ichijou grew nervous. Large crowds he didn't handle exceptionally well. Large crowds in these wee morning hours he couldn't handle at all.

This group of three ladies was going to turn into ten, wasn't it?

A petite brunette with long hair who was near the same height as cute Yuuki-chan took the chance to eagerly reply. "It is! Especially since you're here, Ichijou." Her two friends agreed with dreamy sighs.

"Thank you. It was nice seeing you." He started to edge around the fountain to its opposite side, farthest from the time bomb of excitable girls.

"Oh, what's that?" Another brunette with shorter hair pointed at the package in his hand.

Ichijou silently reprimanded himself. Darn, he forgot to get a bag to hide it. He didn't know what to answer because the box looked like a gift no matter what he claimed it to be. He attempted normalcy, anyway. Maybe he'll be lucky. "It's a parcel. I- I need to deliver it."

"It's wrapped! It's a present!"

"What a pretty ribbon!"

"Who's it for?"

"What's inside?"

"Are you giving it?"

"Can we help?"

Ichijou could barely keep his eyes focused on a single doe-eyed girl because they fired questions him at him like an inquisition, each emotional inquiry rising with increasingly higher pitches. These ladies were converging like vultures. He could feel it. Zeroing in with their targeting sensors of love... if vultures had that sort of thing. Ichijou didn't notice he had inched his way halfway around the fountain from where he originally stopped to stare at its waters. He began to back up. "Er, I must go."

"Tell us, tell us!" the girls chanted.

The initial brunette who spoke leaped first. Ichijou anticipated someone was going to break from the flank and wished to sink her teeth into him. He jumped back. If anyone sunk teeth into another person, he'd be the one. It was his nature. Of course, with President Kaname's strict rules of no feeding from the Night Class members, Ichijou wouldn't be able to drink even if he wanted.

Boy, he was suddenly awfully thirsty. But first...

Ichijou broke off in a run, clutching his precious box to his chest. The girls chased him. A few straggling girls off to the side caught sight of the fleeing Ichijou and they joined their group of compatriots in the hunt. He thanked his inherent vampiric traits of agility as he cut through a lawn, zipped past another fountain, dodged a rack of bikes, and catapulted over a row of colorful geranium potted flowers.

His katana, oh he'd give the world for his katana this moment! Wait, no, what was he thinking, slicing such adoring girls?

He sped around the corner and wondered how long it would take to reach the end of the academy at his current clip. Up ahead he found his savior: a large granite statue of a beautiful winged woman, welcoming those who passed by its humble presence with its open and matronly arms.

Ichijou wasn't about to ignore this invitation! He quickly ducked behind the stone and leaned against the solid foundation as still as the statue itself. He kept his shallow breaths small as the chattering cavalry stampeded by. Their disappointment at losing him was evident in their change from gleeful tones to confused ones. Oh, how the attention was lovely, but he needed to complete his mission beforehand! Hopefully, there would be more easygoing girls on his trip back to the Moon dorms.

When the sounds of scattering footsteps and female voices faded away, Ichijou stood on shaky feet. Whew, disaster averted. He looked around his surroundings and brightened. Headmaster Cross's office was just a skip away. It was in view.

"Excuse me."

A startled huff expelled from Ichijou's lungs as he spun around. He was supposed to be incognito!

Another Day Class female. There was only one, thankfully. A cutie too, with a braid sitting on her shoulder and glasses precariously balanced on the bridge of her nose. A schoolbag hung off her shoulder.

"I have to go," he told her reluctantly. Ooh, he was getting so much attention! He jittered with adrenaline. Forget about feeling sleepy, now; he was _wide_ awake.

The girl watched him, her eyes bereft. "Can you help me? I'm lost. I'm new here. This school is so big."

As dutiful vice-president, Ichijou couldn't deny his helpful reputation. He smiled warmly before he knew it. "Welcome to Cross Academy. I hope you'll enjoy attending this school. Do you have a map? It's included in your care package."

"Map? I didn't get one. Let me check. Maybe I missed it." She leaned her shoulder bag against her side and opened the flap. Struggling to keep the cover up and not drop her belongings, she rooted through the pile of books and stationery. Her frames slid down but she paid them no attention. Ichijou enjoyed the endearing view of her half perched frames as he believed she seemed sweeter to appraise when they weren't worn properly.

Just as she impatiently plunged her hand to the bottom of her bag, her spectacles slipped off. Her cry cut short when Ichijou shot out an inhumanly nimble hand and caught the fragile eyewear mere inches from the unwelcomingly hard ground.

They sighed in relief. Ichijou straightened up and with a grin offered the glasses back.

The young woman laughed nervously. "Thank you so much for catching them!" Her fingers brushed his as she took her glasses.

Warm and soft she was. Ichijou almost chuckled in happiness himself. "It's no problem. Where do you need to go?"

"Here." Her bag thumped to the ground and she threw her arms around his neck. So shocked at the movement, his wrapped package fell to the ground. Horrified, Ichijou saw Kaname's confidence in him plummet that way. Kaname was going to sack him! Worse, he was going to inflict punishment of the repetitive kind!

Fighting against desires, both his and the eager lady, Ichijou quickly scrabbled at the winding hands which were trying to weave their way through his hair. Boy, that felt good! "This is inappropriate! You must stop." He managed to utter this with a straight face despite the pleasant shivers skidding down his spine.

The girl laughed brazenly. "Don't you want to have fun? We're all alone."

This situation was like something out of his shoujo manga! The girls like the guy and the girls do crazy things to get the guy. Ichijou bet the ladies would run the other way if they knew he was a creature of the night who could feed on them.

Ichijou didn't mean to be disrespectful, but he knew he needed to do what was necessary to reach his destination. With a push, Ichijou freed himself. In her moment of surprise, Ichijou deftly snatched his box from the pavement, apologized over his shoulder and high-tailed himself out of there. The statue must be some focal point where the girls got their passion from. The energy waves were invisible, that must be it.

Ichijou ran. He assumed it was almost lunchtime for the Day Class which meant he really had to book it. He tried his best not to run like a hoodlum while he sprinted his way down the corridor to the doorway of the Chairman's office. In his rush, he burst into the office when he planned on politely knocking on it. So much for tact!

Chairman Cross looked as surprised to spot Ichijou as he was at making his trek unscathed --and most importantly-- the parcel. Ichijou suddenly realized he didn't know what was inside the box.

The headmaster, writing a document, stopped moving his pen. Surprised at the outburst through his door, he adjusted his glasses on his nose. "Oh, my. Takuma, isn't it?"

Relieved for a breather, Ichijou bent over to support his hands on his thighs. He straightened as soon as he could. Being winded didn't look good but he couldn't help it. Sprints were not his forte. He nodded and explained that Kaname had a package for him.

"I take it the trip was a vigorous one?" the man wearing glasses surmised in amusement at noticing Ichijou's ragged state.

Ichijou cleared his throat and laughed knowingly. "I could use the exercise."

Cross grinned as Ichijou handed him the parcel. "Thank you. Hmm?" He flipped over a small card that was tucked in the furl of ribbons. When was that card there? His eyes lit up. "Oh, a gift?" As his excited eyes studied the writing on the card more carefully, his expression dropped. "Not a gift? Then what could this be?" His animated fingers peeled away the wrapping to discover a bigger card that resembled a greeting card.

Ichijou heavily hung his head. A card? Ichijou almost was smooched to death to pass on a card? What happened to notes being slipped inside plain manila envelopes instead of gift boxes?

The headmaster silently read the flowing script from Kaname's hand, not revealing the note's contents. It must've been positive because the Chairman looked delighted at the end of his reading. "Thank you so much, Takuma-san. This message was important. I appreciate your prompt delivery."

Kaname and his dramatic notes. When Ichijou got back to his room, his new manga was being donated!

-- THE END --


End file.
